The Union government has altered the Motor Vehicles Rules to permit flex-fuel vehicles to operate on E100, a fuel primarily consisting of ethanol. This move was implemented from Monday.
On Friday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a notification modifying the existing rules regarding fuel usage in compatible vehicles. With this change, flex-fuel vehicles can now run on E100 alongside E85, which is composed of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol.
Flex-fuel vehicles have the capability to utilize various blends of petrol and ethanol. However, regular petrol vehicles, including those designed for E20 fuel that contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol, cannot use E85 or E100, according to Hindustan Times.
The Indian government's Ethanol Blended Petrol program mandates that all petrol sold in the country be blended with 20% ethanol, a substance derived from sugarcane and food grains. This policy aims to decrease India's dependence on fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and boost income for sugarcane farmers.
Recent complaints from consumers indicate that the new fuel mixture may potentially cause engine damage and reduced mileage. In an opinion poll conducted by LocalCircles on July 5, it was found that 53% of petrol vehicle owners consider the government's handling of the E20 rollout to be 'disastrous' or 'ineffective'.
Despite these concerns, the Union Government maintains that offering petrol not blended with ethanol and E10 alongside E20 overlooks India's complex fuel distribution network.
Source:
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